


Let Him Go

by SlaySlothEsikmo



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Other, Post-Alvarez Teikoku | Alvarez Empire Arc, You might be disappointed if you come for the NaLu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-10-23 11:39:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17682734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlaySlothEsikmo/pseuds/SlaySlothEsikmo
Summary: 9 Months after Zeref perished and the war was won rumours begin circling of a missing member of Fairy Tail living in Hargeon.





	1. Rumours

**Author's Note:**

> First fic in roughly 7 years, hopefully ive improved since then  
> tags arent completely added yet and im not sure what the main ships gonna be (if there is one), the titles not set in stone yet either  
> and if i edit anything youll be told in the notes of a future chapter
> 
> now that thats out of the way, enjoy the start of this

The ground began to shake as the magic circle formed, flecks of dust, dirt, and dying leaves bouncing off the floor rapidly as a bright red light began encasing the area. A harsh gust of wind began to stir up within it, forming a twister that picked up everything it could, magic letters of familiar and unknown languages beginning to appear and dance within it. The matter started piling up and started to take shape, changing into bone, then tendons, muscle, and finally flesh. First was a hand, then an arm, forming more and more.  
Muscles twisted and wrapped around each other, changing and connecting until the being was complete. The circle expanded rapidly, dissipating within a few seconds, taking the vicious winds with it and killing every insect and blade of grass in the surrounding area.  
The being it had created floated there momentarily, their eyes were closed and they seemed to be unconscious as they limply hit the dirt below.

###### Lucy Heartfilia, 8 months later:

She ran her hands through her hair, sighing as the hot water sapped away the tension and stress in her shoulders and back. She twisted the valves with a couple swift flicks of her wrist and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a fluffy pink towel around her. She didn't have to worry about rent this month, so she had no plans to go on a job today, dressing herself in something casual and grabbing her celestial keys. 

_

She pushed the guild doors open, the wood creaking under the pressure of her fingers, listening as the noises of the streets dissolved into the racket of the guild. The sounds of laughter, cheering, and general chatter filled her ears and she couldn't help but smile, it's a noise that has come to comfort her. She heard Elfman shout her name and a greeting, raising her hand and waving towards him, Evergreen, and Mira. She scanned the guild until a certain blue-headed mage caught her eye, making her way towards Levy and Gajeel.

She greeted the two enthusiastically, earning her a "Hi Lu!" and a grunt from the dragon slayer who currently had his head in a picture book. The chair scraped across the wooden floor like fingers down a chalkboard when she pulled it out, flinching at the sound before she sat down and started talking with the two.  
"Is happy here yet?" she started, glancing around the guild for the blue exceed.  
"Yeah, he's over with Lily, Pipsqueak, and her cat. Seems like he's recovering from y'know... That," Gajeel replied, his voice tentative towards the end. The table was quiet for an uncomfortable moment, even with all the chatter around them. Lucy couldn't help but feel like it was too quiet.  
"That's good, I was concerned about him...," 

She put on a smile and softly clapped her hands together, "Oh, right! Erza said she wanted to talk with us later," The azurette looked puzzled by this, Gajeel letting out a cackle, "What did we destroy this time?" Lucy's eyes began to smile at the comment, letting out a laugh and waving her hand dismissively,  
"I'm not sure, I don't think any of us know." 

The dragon slayer shifted and sat somewhat upright in his chair, resting an elbow on the table as he gave an open handed gesture towards Lucy,  
"We rippin' this one off like a bandaid too?" She shrugged her shoulders at the question, head lolling to the side a bit in thought, her expression showing that she didn't want to deal with an upset Erza, which Levy couldn't help but giggle at, though she was nervous too,  
"It'll be fine, right?"

"Maybe..." Lucy trailed off briefly, "But first I'll eat."

_

Erza's office was small, but well organised with dark wooden furnishings and a potted fern in the back right corner to brighten things up. The chair Erza sat in was black with a red back rest, making her already scarlet hair seem even more vivid.

The redhead glanced up from a neat pile of paperwork, eyes widening and lighting up a bit at the sight of Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel standing at the entrance to her office. Lucy gave a cheerful  
"Knock knock," gently hitting her knuckles against the wooden door, which earned her a smile from Erza. Her smile was quick to disappear though, scarlet locks gently falling in her face as she tipped her head down and looked to be deep in thought. It was an uncomfortable moment of silence and just when Gajeel was about to pipe up, Erza began to speak,  
"Sorry, I should have thought about how I wanted to explain this before you came in here..." She brought her hands up under her chin, eyes turning back to them,  
"There have been rumours of a missing member living in Hargeon."

Lucy felt like she couldn't breathe, feeling her heart skip a beat as her eyes went wide. It had been 9 months since the battle with Zeref and several members had gone missing, presumed dead by the magic council and many members of the guild. There had been no clues, no rumours, nothing that indicated that one of them was still alive. She could feel her body stiffen, and she knew that Gajeel and Levy must have looked as shocked as she did. The time it took for Erza to continue speaking was minuscule, but it felt like an eternity for the trio of wizards,  
"The rumours have become... Diluted at best, I can't guess who it might be. I want you three to go to Hargeon and find this supposed missing member. I'll give you all the information I have."

Lucy let out a shuddered breath, feeling a burning sensation in her lungs from her restricted breathing. She wanted to speak, but Gajeel beat her to it,  
"We'll go." She looked towards her companions, seeing Levy's bloodshot eyes, glazed with tears that threatened to spill. Everyone had lost someone in that war, everyone was desperate to see their loved ones again. Lucy recounted the names of those who had lost their lives and those who had gone missing, and despite her relationships with all of them, one name on her mind hurt the most; Natsu's.

"That's a relief to hear... I'm keeping this mission a secret between the four of us, I expect you to do the same." Erza paused for a moment, lifting her head up and narrowing her eyes at Gajeel, a serious and intimidating aura emanating off of her,  
"Did you hear that, Gajeel?" He tried to keep his cool, but he started to sweat under her gaze, glancing away as he spoke, "Y-yeah, gotcha."

Erza held out an envelope that contained a few slips of paper for them to take, inside looked to be the train tickets and a makeshift job flyer full of notes on the expedition. Lucy reached out with a shaky hand and took it, looking at the pieces of paper while her mind wandered.  
"This quest starts tomorrow morning... Good luck," The ghost of a smile was on Erza's lips, but her eyes carried worry with a glimmer of hope within them.

They said brief goodbyes to their guild master and all tried to compose themselves as they exited her office, but their eyes all showed the pain and hope that would come with tomorrows mission. 

"Levy... Do you want to go swimming? I think we could both use a day to relax."

###### The Next Morning

The group had collectively decided to meet up at the train station, giving each other enough time to get ready physically and mentally. Lucy was there 30 minutes early, dim bags under her eyes from a restless night sleep. She'd packed all her luggage into her satchel, glancing around for Gajeel and Levy and seeing neither of them. A sigh escaped her lips and she took a seat on the platform their train would arrive at, keeping a sharp eye out for the two the entire time, but only growing more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by. 

She didn't want to think about the quest ahead, her heart beginning to ache every time she was forced to think about. All of the pain from the past 9 months seemed to have come back all at once, coiling itself painfully around her heart and lungs, weighing her down and making it difficult to breathe. She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating rapidly as she tried to regulate her breathing.

She released a pent up sigh when she saw the two step onto the platform together, standing up and waving towards them, putting a big smile on her face that only grew bigger when they noticed her. Levy walked over enthusiastically, Gajeel smiling and putting his free hand in his pocket as the duo reached the blonde,  
"Morning, Lu!" Levy gave her a big hug, Lucy reciprocating it with a tight one that would borderline suffocate the azurette.  
"I hope we're not too late! Gajeel wouldn't stop worrying about Lily." Levy puffed her cheek out in a pout, the iron mage taking immediate offence to the excuse,  
"He didn't know where his dinner and kiwis were!" The blonde tried to suppress her smile, knowing how serious Gajeel was about this, but her friend's silly arguments always seemed to cheer her up a bit.

It felt like the next few minutes flew by within seconds, and with the sound of a whistling horn, the trio turned to the arriving train, all watching with a seed of nervousness growing in their stomachs, their previous happiness dying quickly. Lucy clenched her fists, closing her eyes for a second as she put on a determined expression, relaxing her body and turning back to her friends,  
"Lets do this! Lets find this mystery person!" Her enthusiasm took her friends by surprise, but their eyes lit up somewhat at the welcome change in her demeanour. 

Gajeel lead them onto the train when it's doors opened, wanting to find a window seat as quick as possible for his and their sake. Lucy got the tickets checked and found the couple already sitting in a booth, the iron mage prying the window open, getting ready to throw his guts up for when the train started moving. Lucy sat across from them both, hoping boarding would take a while longer so they'd have enough time to discuss the notes before the train started up, which would quickly render Gajeel useless. 

She dug around in her satchel for the piece of paper, pulling it out and reading over it again briefly before beginning to speak,  
"Basically... This person is seen most often at the docks, they're reported to own a shop there... Or they visit often. They're unique enough or easily recognisable enough to a point where multiple people have mistaken them for who they're rumoured to be... Judging by that, it seems if they are someone we know... They might be running away, or have amnesia..." She trailed off briefly, looking at her friends concerned faces and feeling bad, so she let an uncertain smile appear on her face and finished off by saying,  
"But that's why we're here, to look into this." 

Gajeel didn't seem satisfied with what little information they had to go off,  
"Knowin' our streak, this probably won't be as simple as some old member wantin' to run away." Both girls couldn't help but agree with this, Fairy Tail had a hard time keeping things simple, even when it came to the most generic of tasks.  
"Lucky for you two, I'm going to use my detective skills from back with the council to investigate this!" He made a soft 'gihi' noise, pulling a hat out of his bag and placing it on his head. The celestial spirit and solid script mages couldn't help but sweat drop at this, Levy forcing a smile and saying,  
"We're Fairy Tail, we'll figure this out." Lucy's uncertain smile stayed, hearing the second whistle of the train go off before she felt a strong tug underneath her as the vehicle began to move.

It didn't take long before Gajeel was retching out the window, Levy rubbing his back soothingly.

###### Hargeon

The smell of the salty sea air hit them just before Hargeon train station, the distant sounds of seagulls filling their ears as the doors opened. Lucy stood at one of the doors, looking out at all the shops and listening in to the streets filled with chatter. The girls waited briefly for Gajeel to recover a bit before lugging him out of the train, not wanting a repeat of the many times their dragon slayers ended up taking multiple trips to get to their destination. 

The sun was coasting towards it's highest point in the sky, Lucy needing to bring her arm up to shield her from the harsh sunlight, but as the warmth seeped into the skin, she found herself somewhat comforted by it. She couldn't help but smile at the sheer nostalgia this place gave her, it hasn't changed a lot from when she met Natsu here. 

She hopped off the train station platform, swinging around and waiting for Gajeel and Levy to catch up. The dragon slayer was standing on his own two feet now, not relying on Levy to keep him upright, but his face still looked pale.  
"Are... We making any stops before the docks...?" She couldn't help the slight shake to her voice, hoping it wasn't prominent enough for the other two to catch it, but with Gajeel's inhuman hearing and Levy's ability to pick up on anything wrong with her friends, she knew she had probably been caught red-handed.  
"Probably ain't healthy to put it off, you're both anxious about this mission," the iron mage replied with a surprisingly kind air to his voice. Levy frowned and smiled at him,  
"You are one to talk, Gajeel, you were so nervous you woke up before me." Gaj pointed an accusing finger at his girlfriend,  
"That's only 'cause you kept tossin' and turnin' all night, kept me awake."  
"Even if I did, you sleep so heavy I can't wake you up most mornings!" The argument was quickly dissolved by Lucy's laughter. 

She needed a moment to compose herself before she could speak again,  
"You've only been dating for what? 5 months? and you're already bickering like an old couple." It wasn't much of a compliment at all, but it still brought a smile to their faces.  
They were just glad to see their teammate happy again, they knew Natsu's disappearance had deeply wounded Lucy and that it would leave a scar for a very long time, if not forever. She'd never truly been okay these last 9 months, the whole guild knew it, but no one could seem to help her. So moments like these, where they heard her laugh with genuine joy behind it, it made them feel like maybe the old Lucy had come back, even for a second. 

"Lets do this quest, and if they are someone, lets bring them home!" Lucy tried to sound confident and gestured for them to follow her, sliding her hand across a metal fence as she walked down a concrete hill, moving towards the jetty with her friends on her tail. She could see the ocean from here, watching the waves and water sparkle brightly. She noticed a few ships scattered, reminding her of the time Natsu saved her from Bora, watching them fade away as her view was obstructed by the sturdy, brick buildings of Hargeon. 

Each step made her heart flutter with uncertainty, ducking down streets and into alleyways until she reached a main street. The trio stepped out and a deep blue blanket was in front of them, rippling with sea life. The ocean and jetty were right there. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks and sandbanks filled their ears, Lucy forcing herself to swallow the lump in her throat as she started to walk over the uneven ground, small grains of sand being crunched under her friends' and her shoes. Despite there being people around, Lucy's ears could only hear the sounds of the sea, and even then it was faint, locked in her thoughts and her body moving with only the thought of finding this person. 

She stepped onto the jetty, her chocolate-coloured eyes staring at the many, many shops situated on the concrete street. Someone is here, someone they know...  
No, that's wrong... Someone they might know. She kept needing to remind herself of the uncertainty of this mission, afraid that her certainty would give her false hope that would shatter like glass once she found out the truth.

She tightened her fists, head tilting towards the ground as she focused on the sand and shards of shells beneath her feet, trying to keep her breathing in check. She was taken out of her thoughts and looked over her shoulder to see Gajeel's hand on her shoulder and Levy's worried look. Lucy couldn't help but tear up, she'd made them worry again...

She tried to push back her tears, letting out a quiet and shaky,  
"I'm okay guys... This is just... A lot." She paused, taking a long breath through her nose and exhaling it in a drawn out sigh,  
"... I'm ready." She didn't sound confident, but she was determined to get this over and done with, walking off towards the centre of the street, her friends lagging behind her briefly. 

Gajeel placed a hand on Levy's head, ruffling her hair a bit and smirking at her upset reaction,  
"I know you've been hurtin too, you just don't wanna show it. No matter what's going on, I'm always gonna be here for you, so don't keep your feelings bottled up 'round me." Levy's face suddenly felt a lot warmer, feeling surprised by the sudden heart to heart,  
"O-Oh, t-thanks..."

Gajeel's fingers interlocked with hers and he began to lead her towards the blonde, hearing a soft,  
"You can talk to me too..." from the solid script mage behind him, a grin appearing on his face. 

The couple came to a slow stop next to the blonde, Lucy looking from store to store almost frantically. She dug out the notes Erza gave them and read over them again, gripping the piece of paper tightly,  
"I... Don't know which one to check first..." She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, looking in every shop from left to right could take hours, and they didn't know if the person was here right now. Gajeel and Levy both began to study each of the shops for a bit, the iron dragon slayer piping up when his eyes landed on one,  
"That dingy one has smoke comin' out of it." 

Time slowed and Lucy's eyes widened at the comment, eyes locking onto the shop, and without a second thought she took off running towards it. Her friends panicked and began running after her, shouting her name, but she couldn't hear them and she didn't care, she was going to that building. she kicked an uneven hill of concrete, stumbling, but righting herself quickly and running faster, watching the stone store approach faster and faster until she had to stop running. She stumbled to a halt, lurching forward and grabbing onto the iron railing that lead up into the shop.

smooth stone steps lead up into the open shop, Lucy's vision slowly following them, uncertain and shaking. Her heart felt like it was in her throat, beating rapidly as her eyes travelled up into the open shop, landing on the only person within the building.

The dam of emotions built up inside of her broke in an instant and she began to sob, feeling the painful streams of tears fall down her cheeks. She only said one name as Levy and Gajeel caught up to her, an uncertain;

"Natsu...?"


	2. Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel found a missing friend, but things aren't quite as they seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this took longer than i thought it would, the last 3 months have been a mess. chapter releases arent gonna be consistent, but im hoping the next one doesnt take this long
> 
> enjoy the chapter

The shop was filled with cold, murky hues that trapped what light came in through the open wall at the front of the shop. The other walls were craggy rock structures that hid away the stone chimney towards the back, tiny flecks of metal still present on the metal surface of the anvil, and colourful armour and weapons of all sizes lined up decoratively on the wall, all probably waiting to be picked up by their respective owners. 

A man with pink hair stood in the room, his back rested against the counter the cash register sat on, his long hair tied back in a pony tail. He wore a sleeveless black shirt that fitted his form nicely, and slightly baggy pants. Black tattoos of fire danced up his forearms, curling around them and looking almost alive. 

His unfocused eyes landed on the girl as she practically fell onto his doorstep, his brows furrowing as she spotted him and began to bawl, a sense of urgency and alertness crawling up the back of his mind. Between sobs he could hear her say something, but he paid it no mind as his eyes fixed on the two people that were running towards her, shouting what he could only assume was her name. Scenarios began to rapidly pop into his mind, ones saying she was in danger standing out among the rest, prompting him to swing his left arm outward as the two new arrivals were approaching his doorstep, a wall of flames appearing; cutting them off and beginning to scorch the pavements below and near the blaze. 

He heard their shouts of surprise and heavy footsteps coming to a stop, his eyes flickering back to the girl as she turned, looking confused and shocked by the flames. He took this time to walk to the top of the stairs, gently grabbing her hand and leading her up them until he could wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her further into the shop, 

"It's okay, you're safe."  
He looked at her with a soft smile, though he began to doubt himself as he saw the expression on her face. His smile disappeared, looking a little embarrassed, 

"They weren't gonna kidnap you were they...?"  
He couldn't seem to get much of a verbal or visual response out of her now, but he was almost certain he was correct, flicking his wrist and letting the fire dissipate. He removed his hands from her waist and went to walk back over to the counter, being stopped by the feeling of her hand on his wrist. 

He turned his head to look at her, confused and seeing her eyes shadowed by her hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him, 

"Is... Is this a joke...?"  
His brows curled downward in concern, eyes flickering towards the door as a shout reached his ears, 

"Salamander?!"  
Red eyes met his own, looking over the man who seemed to be covered tip to toe in piercings, and the blue haired girl who looked just as shocked beside him.

A moment passed, his worried look quickly turning to look more irritated, his demeanour unwelcoming. 

"You people again... I'm not your Salamander, so quit coming around and asking."  
He tried to be as nice as possible when he ripped his hand out the girl's grip, going over and sitting on the stone counter. This hadn't been his first encounter with people coming into his store to tell him he's this all powerful fire mage that goes by the name Salamander. It used to happen more frequently, but after news circulated of the mage's death, the towns memory of him started to fade away. Now only the occasional mage seemed to mistake him. 

"If you're not Salamander, then who the hell are you?"

"Ciar."  
His response was quick, too quick, and had bite to it, his eyes landing on and judging the iron mage who had spoken, seeing that both him and his blue-haired companion had travelled up the steps and into the shop. Ciar was beginning to feel like a caged animal, boxed in by three people who all expected him to be someone he's not.  
The trio of mages seemed to quiet down very quickly after hearing his response, the fire mage beginning to feel vulnerable in the silence. 

"But... You look exactly like him," the blonde reached forward and touched the scar on his neck, him flinching away but not showing any obvious hostility towards her. Her finger trailed up and began to thumb at the fading scar on his cheek, a longing glisten in her eyes, 

"They're the same scars..."  
His face started to feel warmer and he brushed her hand away, trying to put on a stern expression as he sucked in a breath and began to speak, 

"Listen, I've had this conversation dozens of times now, I'm not your guy."

"You've gotta be Sa-"

"I'M NOT!" Ciar snapped, feeling his magic well under his skin, smoke rising from his arms as his powers wished desperately to burst forth, barely keeping himself calm enough to stop it. He sighed and ran his hand through his messy bangs, giving the pierced male some serious side eye.

The trio all knew they'd overstayed their welcome, feeling the intense aura coming off of him. Lucy's right hand began nervously scratching at her other arm, biting her lip and trying to think of a solution to this predicament as quickly as she could.  
Looking up at the pink-haired male, an idea popped into her head, but whether or not it'd work would be a long shot. She brought out the slightly crumpled mission flyer, showing it to him as she began to speak, 

"Information about you has reached as far as Magnolia, people are going to keep mistaking you for him, but maybe we can clear this up if you come to Fairy Tail with us...?"  
She could see how suspicious he was, and despite what her body wanted to do, she kept her head high and stood her ground. With a disgruntled sigh, Ciar ran a hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his neck and looking deep in thought. His voice was barely a mumble as he spoke, 

"Guess I could use a break..." He relaxed his shoulders and looked at the trio with no real expression on his face, "Just don't compare Salamander to me."

They could all tell he was serious about that, but it would be more than a challenge not to; He had the same face, same scars, same voice that they'd all missed. He shoved his hands into his pockets, head lolling to the side somewhat, 

"When are we leaving?"  
All of them were silent for a moment. They'd completely forgotten to think about that, they'd only just gotten here and it already felt like hours had passed. Levy looked at her comrades dumbfounded expressions and decided to speak for them, 

"Well... We only just got here... But our mission is to bring you back. I don't think any of us want to stay here, so can we leave soon?"  
He thought about it for a bit, weighing the good with the bad, and the good seemed to outweigh the latter right now. His business would be fine if he left it, it was profitable enough, but he didn't get regular customers and days like today were slow. He slid off the counter, his boots hitting the floor with a satisfying clap that lightly echoed in the room, taking a hand out of his pocket and putting it on his hip, 

"Better to get it over and done with."  
Aside from Gajeel, they all were visually happy with the response, the iron mage holding his usual resting bitch face. 

Ciar's steps tapped gently against the stone floor, going to gather a few things before his footsteps abruptly stopped, seeming to be frozen for a moment before he quickly turned and pointed towards the blonde, 

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANY OF YOUR NAMES."  
His voice was borderline yelling, the trio dumbfounded by the revelation and sudden change in character. A smile crept onto Lucy's lips and she tried not to break the atmosphere by laughing. She held out her hand for him to shake, 

"I'm Lucy, and these two are Levy and Gajeel," she gestured towards her friends as she introduced them, the pink-headed mage nodding a hello and shaking the blonde's hand, noticing a pink symbol on the back of it. It was somewhat familiar, but his head was fuzzy. He mentally shook his thoughts away, making eye contact with Lucy with a small smile on his face, 

"It alright if I go pack now?"  
They all gave small nods, watching as he walked to and opened a door towards the back. From what they could see of the interior; the walls looked to be a soft rose colour, with wooden furnishings and a large beanbag. Lucy guessed he lived back there, it looking cosy, but not at all what they expected their Salamander to live like. Both Lucy and Gajeel had seen his house prior to Zeref's death and it was a mess, piles of clothes everywhere and plates in places no plate should be. Seeing this made them feel like something was very wrong here, Natsu would've kept his messy habits... Right?

The door creaked shut, a gentle tink of metal signalling that it was closed, Lucy shaking her head and slapping her cheeks, holding them there as her eyes wandered from the door to her feet. Maybe he'd just been... Raised differently since he lost his memory. The smell of soot and cinders filled her nose as she drew in a long, deep breath, arms dropping limply to her sides as she looked behind her to her teammates. 

"What... What do we do?"  
She was looking for some insight, some kind of solution, but it seems like she hadn't finished the question enough to get a response. She took a second to clear her head and think, realising she had a plan that might work, 

"We should take him back to my apartment, the guild might freak him out if they see him... They might freak out in general... I'll keep him occupied while you two get Erza, she'll know what to do."

Lucy admitted mentally that she'd been too distant from the guild to know exactly how they'd react, but from who she knew, they'd probably be shocked and ecstatic to see the fire mage again. But Natsu's... Ciar's newfound personality seemed more reserved, more firey, which made her think too much crowding around him might cause him to freak out. She was sucked out of her thoughts by Levy's voice, 

"You sure are good at thinking up plans, Lu. Do you think Wendy could help him?" 

"That runt? Yeah, kid's stronger than me."  
Gajeels comment shocked the two girls, their eyes going wide before Levy started to look very smug, 

"You finally recognise that, huh?"

"Hate to admit it, but she could kick my ass, and I'll put my bets on her being the best healer in Fiore."

"Those are some pretty big compliments, Gajeel," Lucy had a soft smile on her face as she thought of the young Dragon Slayer. Wendy had trained harder than anyone this past year, becoming one of the best fighters along with still holding the title of best healer in Fairy Tail.

"Can't deny the kid's talented. Good thing her girlfriend ain't in the guild, or else she'd be an unstoppable force."  
Lucy laughed at Gajeel's comment, Sherria had asked Wendy on a date a couple months ago and their relationship began to blossom from there, since then the two have only gotten closer. It was cute to watch, though Lucy tried to not seem creepy when she watched the two interact. 

"Maybe we should bring Wendy over too?"  
Levy held her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly as she looked towards Lucy with curious eyes. Lucy placed a finger to her lips and thought about it briefly, 

"It wouldn't be the best idea... We all know how much Wendy cared about Natsu, seeing him like... This could really hurt her."  
Levy bit her lip and nodded, looking to the ground on her right, clearly thinking but she didn't speak further. 

Lucy felt another deep sigh bubbling in her chest, guessing she was just that stressed by all of this. Her head flicked towards the door when it was flung open, Ciar walking out with a bag that was bulging with what she assumed was important items he'd need on the trip, 

"I'm all set to go when you guys are,"  
He had a big goofy smile on his face that stung at Lucy's heart, images of that smile flashing in her mind, but she tried to push them away, smiling as she spoke, 

"I think so, let's go."

###### 

Her body sunk into the seats of the train, feeling her entire body sag and release the tension she'd been holding for who knows how many hours. She closed her eyes and let them rest for a moment until she felt an added pressure on the seat she sat on, glancing over to see Ciar sitting beside her. She felt a lightness in her heart, but sludge weighed down her stomach, conflicting her.

"You must've been close."  
His voice brought her out of her trance, immediately wiping away the saddened look off her face, feeling guilty and wondering how long she'd been looking at him like that, 

"Y-Yeah..."

"What was he like?"

"Huh...?"

"Salamander, I've heard his name more times than I can count, but I don't really know anything about him."  
Lucy couldn't help but stare for a moment, a smile appearing on her lips as she looked towards the floor, beginning to speak, 

"He was reckless and an idiot, always wanting to fight," she saw Ciar's eyebrows raise in the corner of her eye, 

"But... He was also fiercely loyal, forgiving, and kind... He was so bright when things were dark..."

"It sounds like he was a good guy,"  
his brows were upturned slightly, lips curled into a small and kind smile as their eyes met. But the moment was fleeting, Lucy seeing a sudden spark of fear in Ciar's eyes as the train jerked forward and started to move. He shakily leaned back, crossing his legs and bringing a hand up to his mouth. His head turned to look out the window and off into the distance, this causing a spark of realisation in Lucy's head as she blurted out, 

"You have motion sickness!"

"What?! No-" He couldn't say another word, making a soft gagging noise in his throat and slapping a hand over his tightly closed mouth. Lucy looked on in amazement with only slight concern, Ciar eyeing her in the corner of his eye.

"What's the importance of it anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did your friend have it too or somethin'?"  
She gave him an awkward and small smile in response, looking to the side and saying, 

"Yeah, he struggled with it a lot. He could only ride animals without getting sick." 

"Huh, weird..." 

"I always thought so too."  
She pursed her lips as she looked back to him, 

"Do you...?"

"Let's not get into this."  
His answer was blunt, his head turning to once again look out the window at the blurred world that the train passed by. The celestial mage wasn't quite done talking, but she shut her mouth anyway, shifting in the seat and getting comfortable.

###### 

In the few hours they'd been gone the sun had climbed over the skies, and clouds had rolled in, covering the sky in shades of grey. Pockets of light shone through the layer of clouds, basking parts of the town in a golden light. The sky was beginning to darken slowly, rain clouds crying nearby, creating a mist that obscured the mountains in the near-distance. It was pretty obvious the rain would reach here sooner rather than later, which put the team on a bit of a timer if they didn't want to get soaked. 

Lucy hopped over the small gap between the train and station, turning around and mockingly saying, 

"Do you want my help getting over the gap?"  
Ciar was standing there, gripping the side of the door, face pale and looking at the gap like it was a bottomless pit. He made a soft 'pff' noise, flicking his head to the side somewhat to remove some of the hair from his face, as he managed to stumble over the gap and safely end up standing beside Lucy.

"Looks like I didn't need your help after all,"  
He wiggled his eyebrows before leaving them raised, bending down a little and looking smugly at the blonde. She got so prepared to say something she thought was clever, but as she opened her mouth she suddenly ended up on the floor with a Ciar on top of her. He could feel his face start burning up as he looked down at her, eyes blown wide, 

"S-Sorry, Looks like I was still coming down from the motion sickness..."  
He averted his gaze, Lucy's face feeling like it was going to explode from how hot and dizzy it was. 

"Oh no they've already fallen for each other,"  
Every muscle in Lucy's body tensed up, making her feel like any movements or touches would make her shatter like glass. The fire mage looked at Levy and then to her, his face red as a cherry. He got up quicker than the celestial mage thought was humanly possible and began dusting himself off. She was stunned for a second, eyes trying to focus on anything that wasn't Ciar or Levy and Gajeel. She was forced to look back when a hand was held out to her, straining her eyes and for a moment just looking at the tanned, but calised and scarred fingers. Her hand slid into his strong grip, feeling him tug her up onto her feet carefully. 

She tried to resist it, but ended up being pulled close to his chest, barely bumping against it with her own. She looked up at him, mumbling out a soft and embarrassed 'thank you,' which he smiled and nodded at. Her brows began to furrow as she tried to work out his eye colour, it seeming different, but she couldn't quite tell in this light-or lack there of. His grip slid from her hand, him bringing it more towards his chest and gesturing out towards the rest of Magnolia, the blonde's eyes following the movement,

"We should get going. Can you lead the way? I don't know this place."  
She opened her mouth mostly in surprise, but mentally shook her head as she physically nodded. She pushed down her heartache and adjusted her satchel, looking around to Levy,

"Are you two ready?"  
She received confirmations and nods from the two before turning away from them and beginning to walk towards the colourful buildings of Magnolia.

###### 

She watched Ciar admiring the view in the corner of her eyes, watching his fascination with the colourful and diverse buildings, and how he gawked at Kardia Cathedral when it came into view. Lucy couldn't help the soft smile that played on her lips every time she looked at him, wondering if this is what he was like when he first came to Magnolia as a child. She could just imagine him, small and with a head full of messy pink hair, gasping and asking all kinds of questions about the city and the people living within it, and about  
Fairy Tail too. It tugged at her heartstrings, feeling it beating hard in her chest. 

She could see him staring intently at her, her smile wavering and looking confused, 

"You stare a lot." 

"Oh, uh, I was just-"

"Creepy..."  
He turned his head to the side, muttering it, but it still reached Lucy's ears, 

"Huh?! I'm not creepy!"  
She stomped her feet to a stop, placing her hands on her hips as she glared at him. 

Gajeel pinched the bridge of his nose while Levy lagged behind the bickering fire and celestial spirit mages. Gajeel drew in a breath,

"Before you two make a scene did'ja wanna explain where we're headed?"  
Lucy stopped with her mouth half open, words ready to spill but she held them back. She glanced to where they were and realised now might be a good time to spill the beans to Ciar, 

"We're going to my place instead of the guild,"  
They'd reached the river canal that was situated near her apartment complex, her jumping up and balancing on the edge of it as she walked with her friends. She didn't expect Ciar to copy her, him hopping up and following behind her, glancing towards the water before looking back towards her, 

"Makes sense... More sense. Why your place?"

"Levy's and Gajeel's home is full of bookshelves and piles of random metal objects... And our Guild Master, Erza, knows where my place is."  
She watched his brows furrow at the namedrop, seeing some kind of spark in his eyes, she hoped he recognised it. 

"Isn't she the Guild Master that infamously keeps destroying things?"  
The trio sighed, thinking back to all the times Erza accidentally destroyed something and got all mopey about it, swearing that she'd never do it again or else she'd never eat strawberry cake again. She ended up destroying many more things and eating many more cakes instead.

Ciar looked at all their faces and guessed that he was right about that, trying not to laugh at the fact that their Master is one of the most destructive mages in their guild. He couldn't help but let a small snicker slip before changing the subject, 

"How long until we get there?"

"It's right here!"  
The celestial mage had a grin on her face as she hopped off the edge of the canal, making her way over to the door of her apartment complex and opening the door for her friends. She was stopped when Levy spoke up, 

"We'll go get Erza. I know the way here anyway,"  
The azurette winked at her before grabbing her boyfriend's hand and walking off in the direction of the guild. Lucy felt a blush rise onto her cheeks at the implications of the wink, internally scrambling to cool down her face somehow, so she decided to spin around and walk inside, Ciar hesitating behind her for a moment before following. He closed the door behind him and idly walked around the room, coming to a stop in front of the stairs. 

The building was nice and cool, a nice change from the humid air outside. The celestial mage waved her hand for Ciar to follow, leading him up a few flights of stairs and unlocking the door to her apartment. She turned the doorknob, before sliding on her heels to give him a full view the door. She bent down and half bowed, 

"Welcome to la casa de Lucy."  
She gestured towards the door with one hand, opening it and pushing the door just enough so it'd swing all the way open but not slam against the wooden wall behind it. She watched his expression go from slightly confused to impressed by the interior, his eyes scanning the room slowly. 

"It's neat, neater than mine."  
She smiled, 

"Yeah, I can imagine."  
She stood there in that position for a moment longer, seeing no movement from the male in front of her, 

"..."

"..."

"Umm... Don't you want to go inside?"

"Oh, I was waiting for you to tell me to."

"What are you? A vampire?"  
He pouted and walked into her room, putting his hands in his pockets and getting a better look of the place. He couldn't help but start picking up things as soon as he got inside, Lucy walking inside behind him and closing the door. He heard her spin on her heels to turn around, making a strangled noise in her throat as she went to tell him to stop picking things up, but something stopped her. His head turned to look at her, confused as he glanced back to the item he held.  
It had been placed neatly on her pillow, a pure white scarf, it scaly in both looks and texture, it smelling of her and someone he couldn't quite pinpoint the scent of. Her scent smelled more salty than normal. He gently set it back down, imagining it must be very important to her. 

He turned to look at her front on, seeing her upturned brows and eyes that looked dry of all hope. He knew she was still comparing him to Salamander, to Natsu, still hopeful, and that frustrated him... But those eyes... They were so full of hurt that he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. 

He looked around himself briefly for something he could change the subject with, realising that there must be a kitchen in here somewhere, 

"Hey, have you had lunch yet?"

"No, why?"

"It's 3 in the afternoon, you should eat."  
Lucy looked shocked to hear that, her head whipping to look at the clock on her wall, her expression looking even more horrified then. Before she could speak Ciar decided to chip in, 

"I'll make you something, where's the kitchen?"  
He could almost see the gears turning in her head, her face going blank and not seeming to register what he said at all. His mouth pressed out into a thin line, stepping to the side and beginning to poke his head into the other rooms, making his way into the kitchen once he found it. 

He didn't hear any movement outside for a while, almost convinced her brain froze over from his question and statement. He began rummaging through the cupboards, starting to hear footsteps making their way towards this room, fabric rustling as the drapes that separated this room from her bedroom were tossed aside, 

"You COOK?!"

"Yeah, I live on my own, kind of have to."  
He glanced back at her as he took out some pancake mix, closing the cupboard door. 

"And you don't burn everything?"

"Why would I? Because I'm a fire mage?"  
She ran her fingers through her hair, accidentally undoing her ponytail and kind of regretting her actions. She put the hairtie around her wrist and let her hair flow free, 

"Okay... Sorry, I shouldn't have assumed." 

"It's fine. Now how about I make some of these bad boys?"  
He shook the pancake mix, Lucy smiling and nodding.

###### 

Gajeel and Levy had tried walking to the guild, but despite Lucy's apartment being close-ish to the guild, the azurette grew impatient and started to run there. And even though she's small compared to the iron mage, he always forgot just how quick she could be, needing to run as well to catch up with her. Rounding a corner they could see the guild doors approaching, Levy increasing her speed and seeing her boyfriend copy her in her peripheral vision, running full pelt until she was almost at the door before skidding to a stop and trying to catch her breath. 

They both needed to calm down before going inside, coming back from a mission looking out of breath and panicked meant something big had happened. And something big had happened, a guild member coming back from the dead wasn't an everyday occurrence. 

Levy scribbled some letters in the air, splashing water on Gajeel's face without warning and throwing some on her own. She let out a breathy laugh as she heard the iron mage cough and splutter. She wiped the excess water off her face, feeling refreshed and opening her eyes to look smugly at her lover, who looked pissed off and like he knew he should've expected that. 

"Ya couldn't've warned me?!"  
She stuck her lip out in a fake pout, a smirk hidden underneath it, 

"You never warn me. And wipe the water off your face, we're going in."  
He froze up, a dark blush coming across his tan features, scrambling to wipe the water off his face when Levy started pushing the doors open. 

She let out a loud, "We're back!" as she entered, trying to act casual. Not a lot of people looked their way, a couple waving and getting a few shouts, but for the most part the guild members seemed to be stuck in their own little worlds.  
Grabbing his hand, she lead him inside, making a b-line for the stairs. They were expecting someone to ask them why they were headed to Erza right away, normally they waited for her to call them up and tell them all the things they destroyed on the mission. They did, however, fail to notice a pair of brown eyes watching them hurriedly go up the stairs, curious but not wanting to call out to them about it. 

Her knuckles hovered over the door, hesitating to knock. She drew in a long breath and held it for a moment, exhaling when Gajeel decided to knock instead. 

The seconds they waited were agonising to say the least, beginning to wonder if their Master was even here, feeling anxiety clinging to their stomachs like sludge. They both looked at each other for a moment, unsure how to explain what's happened in the past few hours, but as their eyes met, everything seemed like it was gonna be okay. 

The noise of wood creaking made them turn their attention back to the redhead who had just emerged from her office, eyes showing confusion and concern. She took off her glasses and put them in her pocket, 

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon... Where's Lucy?"

"She's at home... Can you come with us?"  
Erza froze at the question, eyes searching Levy's, hopeful but oh so worried at what she will see when she gets there. She shook herself out of that state and nodded, 

"Paperwork can wait, take me there."

"We'll explain on the way."  
Erza began to glow, requipping into her usual armour and walking down the stairs as calmly as she could. She was too focussed to hear the meek voice beside the stairs, 

"Erza, is something going on?"  
The azurette stood with Carla in her arms, her long blue hair free with some of it draped over her shoulders. She'd grown since the war against Alvarez, though she'd never admit it. 

Erza walked directly passed her, tunnel vision driving her. The sky mage's eyebrows went upturned in concern. Levy gave the girl an apologetic look as she passed by, Gajeel ruffling her hair and apologising, 

"Don't worry about it, shrimp, just some leftover business from our last mission."  
She lowered her head towards the floor, avoiding eye contact as she begrudgingly nodded and accepted his reasoning. She couldn't help but feel like she wasn't getting the whole story, something in her gut telling her that, and the fact she got stronger to be more helpful to the guild was weighing on her mind. She felt Gajeel give her one last pat on the head before exiting the guild. 

Looking longingly towards the light that illuminated the main doors of the guild, she debated on following them.

###### 

The smell of pancakes had filled the apartment, the celestial mage fiddling idly with her keys, sitting on a chair in her kitchen. In the short while Ciar had been cooking he'd already managed to make a stack of pancakes, but he'd also already managed to make a mess by pouring some of the mix in his own hand to try and cook it that way, his attempt at showing off just ending up in a burnt puddle on the floor. 

"How many?" 

"Hm?"  
She looked up towards him, not catching what he said, holding the broken Aquarius key in her hand. 

"They're done, how many did you want?"  
She put the smooth end of the key up to her chin, thinking before holding up 3 fingers, 

"Just three please."  
She watched him place three of the fluffy looking pancakes on a plate, thanking him as he placed them down in front of her. He grabbed the maple syrup, butter, and strawberries, placing them down in the middle of the table. 

He brought his own plate over with his small stack of pancakes, sitting down opposite of her and drowning them in maple syrup. She added some of everything to hers, digging in.  
Even after everything that had occurred today, and the things that would probably happen next, this moment was peaceful. The clinking of forks and knives against porcelain plates brought her a strange sense of comfort. 

That peace was quickly disturbed when she heard the door to her apartment swing open, Ciar's mouth remaining open as he glanced towards the door, the piece of pancake on his fork falling off and back onto the plate with a faint slapping sound. 

"Lucy?!"  
She recognised it as Erza's voice, knowing better than to keep the Guild Master waiting and calling out, 

"We're in the kitchen!"

The sheet to the kitchen was shoved aside as Erza rushed into the kitchen, the redhead panicked and eyes immediately locking onto the pinkette's. He shut his mouth and gave her a strange look, but not the kind that he gave the celestial mage when they met, this time it had thought and confusion behind it. 

"You..."  
Erza started to speak, rushing over to who she believed was Natsu and hugging him tightly against her armour, 

"You survived..."  
Ciar let her hug him for a moment, fragments of pain in his eyes as he wondered just how much Natsu meant to everyone, everyone seemed to miss him so much. But he knew he couldn't let them live a fantasy, he wasn't going to pretend to be someone he wasn't. He gently pushed her away, 

"How much did they tell you?"  
He looked to Gajeel and Levy as they entered the kitchen, looking sweaty and exhausted. Erza seemed to get slightly flustered when they came into the kitchen, stuttering, 

"W-Well..."

"She ran off, didn't even get to the amnesia part."  
As embarrassed as the requip mage seemed, Ciar's dark eyes were far more intimidating. He wasn't impressed by them not believing him, stabbing into the bit of pancake he dropped and eating it as he ignored them completely. 

"S-Sorry Na-... Ciar... We just can't rule out the possibility yet."  
He sighed at Levy's comment and continued to look away, but waved in their direction as if to dismiss it, 

"Fine."  
They could all hear the bite in his voice, none of them really knowing what to say to cheer him up, feeling like any further comments would make him set the table on fire. 

"I made pancakes,"  
The silence was broken by that comment, Levy's and Gajeel's stomachs growling at the thought of food. Ciar couldn't help the smug look that appeared on his face, obscuring his mouth behind his hand to try and hide his smile, 

"Wipe that smile off your face before I do it for ya."  
He watched as Gajeel's actions and words contradicted themselves, going over to the pancakes anyway and asking his girlfriend how many she wanted. The solid script mage sat down at the table beside Lucy, and her boyfriend sat next to her, making Ciar move over so they weren't all huddled like penguins. 

The fire mage was the first to notice an absent member from the table, glancing towards the redhead and frowning in concern. Erza was standing towards the doorway, her arms weakly crossed and head tilted towards the floor. He held up a strawberry and crooked his hand to the side, giving Erza a lopsided smile, 

"we've got strawberries? Or maple syrup if that's more your thing."  
He dropped the strawberry, a small splash of moisture speckling the plate where he'd dropped it, looking at the sad and defeated expression on her face. He could tell she was trying to hide it, wondering how long she'd been trying. 

"Sorry, I'll excuse myself, I still have paperwork to do."  
She turned and went to walk away, Ciar letting his fork fall onto the plate as he took a long step out of his seat and grabbed onto her arm, scarlet hair flying as Erza's head whipped around to look at him, shocked. 

He gritted his teeth, hair falling over his eyes as his grip on her arm tightened,

"It hurts, I know. Like a hole in your chest. But do you think he'd be happy to see you like this?! Any of you?!"  


"He'd want you to move on, so move on! Find happiness in the memories you had with him, even if it's bittersweet, but keep moving down your own path."  
He could feel all eyes on him, his teeth hurting from how tense he was and deciding to relax his jaw. He let go of Erza's hand, his going limp back to his side, 

"I'm not going to fulfil your fantasies and replace him. Let him go."  
He gave her a stern look, but one with the sympathy of knowing loss. He looked into her wide brown eyes, her hair drifting down onto her face and covering her right eye. She looked down again, avoiding eye contact with him as she thought over what he'd said. 

It was deathly quiet in the room, the noise of the bustling streets outside Lucy's windows not reaching them.

"Thank you... I needed to hear that."  
The smile on the redheads face was slight, but it was content. Her eyes were filled with pain and determination, looking ready to try moving on if this truly wasn't Natsu. 

Seeing her like this made him smile, spinning on his heels as he looked towards the rest of the group, who either looked ashamed or surprised by the speech. He pointed an accusing finger towards them all, 

"That goes for you lot too."  
He had a playful smirk on his face as he said it, putting his other hand on his hip, 

"I think we all needed a bit of a push..."  
The azurette spoke softly, just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear it, before smiling apologetically at the fire mage, finishing her sentence with a; 

"Thanks."  
He just shrugged in response, not seeming to want to accept the thank you, his smile thinning out. 

"Never a boring moment here, huh?,"  
He looked towards the ceiling before looking towards the trio at the table, 

"At least you're gonna make my time here interesting."  
The others didn't have time to respond, Ciar's eyes growing wide as he turned towards the sound of the apartment door swinging open, seeing the blue curtain door of the kitchen being blown aside as a blue haired girl darted into the room. 

She held a white cat in her arms, her navy blue hair coming to rest at her back as she abruptly stopped, Wendy looking up at the pinkette with confused and almost fearful eyes.


End file.
